Nonfatal Scald-Related Burns Among Adults Aged [Greater-Than Or Equal To]65 Years - United States, 2001-2006

• Published in: MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Vol. 58; no. 36; p. 993
• Main Authors: Hungerford, D, Sullivent, E, Thomas, K, Wald, M, Galle, M
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Atlanta U.S. Center for Disease Control 18-09-2009
• Subjects: Adults; Burns; Data collection; Emergency services; Patient admissions; United States > US
• ISSN: 0149-2195; 1545-861X

To estimate the number of emergency department (ED) visits for nonfatal scald burns among U.S. adults aged ≥65 years and describe their characteristics, CDC analyzed ED visit data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System All Injury Program (NEISS-AIP) for 2001-06. This report summarizes the results, which indicated that adults aged ≥65 years made an estimated 51,700 initial visits to EDs for nonfatal scald burns during 2001-06, for an average of 8,620 visits per year and an estimated average annual rate of 23.8 visits per 100,000 population. NEISS-AIP, maintained by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), collects data on initial ED visits for all types and causes of injuries. The system uses a nationally representative sample of hospitals from 66 of the 100 NEISS-AIP hospitals that have 24-hour EDs in the US. Data are collected from the medical records of new ED admissions, and only the most severe injury is recorded for each visit. Data include up to two product codes and a two-line narrative describing the circumstances of the injury.